- Russel Family Doll HouseEarly 19th C wooden, three storey, doll’s Town House, the Russell family, Seafield, Waterford. Barbara Wright played with the Seafield Dolls house as a small girl. It had been given to her by her Aunt Kathleen Hudson (nee Russell) who lived in a large house called Carriganore just outside Waterford in the late 1930s early 1940s. She had been given it by her parents… Continue reading Russel Family Doll House
- Doll House Vacuum CleanerA little Japanese made 1950s tin plate and wire ‘electric’ doll house vacuum cleaner, donated to the Museum of Childhood Ireland in 2018. Research is ongoing. As children in Dublin in the 60s, we called our carpet vacuum sweeper by the manufacturing company’s name, the Electrolux, and others called theirs the Hoover, in much the same way people today refer to their Dyson! History… Continue reading Doll House Vacuum Cleaner
- Ann Finegan-Hyland’s Toy furniture and houseMy oldest sister had this Lines Brothers, Triang dolls house that we all played with in the 1970s. It had two floors and a red roof. All of the little pieces of furniture were used in the house. We would also play in our living room with the toy furniture, making other houses for our dolls. Cardboard boxes were great for making houses with… Continue reading Ann Finegan-Hyland’s Toy furniture and house
- Rea’s Matchbox Dressing TableMy mammy and my older sister made the dressing table for us. It was modelled on our Nana’s dressing table in her bedroom. They used matchstick boxes and leftover wallpaper, along with buttons for handles. Cardboard was cut out in the same shape as the mirror and the mirror piece was glued into place. It was great to play with as the drawers moved… Continue reading Rea’s Matchbox Dressing Table
- Joanne Sloan’s Doll House 1980s“This dolls house was hand made for my daughter Joanne by my brother Maurice Sloan in 1984. It is a copy of one my Grandad William made for me in 1951. He also made four or five others for my cousins. Some of the contents are from the original house. I hope people will enjoy seeing it when museum opens. My Grandad lived in… Continue reading Joanne Sloan’s Doll House 1980s
- Rachel Abraham’s Doll House 1970sMy name is Rachel and I was born almost 50 years ago, in 1971. At some point in my childhood, I received the gift of my dolls house; I believe it was a birthday present, and I LOVED it! There was no such thing as a doll/house lifestyle experience (that I knew anyway), so there was all types of furniture and dolls all in there together.… Continue reading Rachel Abraham’s Doll House 1970s
- Lorraine O’Connor’s Doll House 1960s“Typical of Irish 60’s built houses. After 43 years I’m looking forward to handing a piece of my own childhood history over into the safe hands of the Museum of Childhood Ireland. An amazing dolls house complete with individual pieces of wooden furniture, handmade by my dad, Tom and decorated in detail by my mother, Irene. “ Bungalow Bliss, Jack Fitzsimons. https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/rural-life/the-bestseller-that-solved-a-rural-housing-crisis-37993853.html https://www.google.com/shopping/product/9963021001401757569?q=1960s+houses&rlz=1CDGOYI_enIE884IE884&hl=en-GB&biw=375&bih=553&tbs=vw:l,ss:44&sxsrf=AOaemvIVUHC4yCp09U6C-yKk3U54viH4Yg:1638232498669&prds=num:1,of:1,eto:4540413222634071672_0,prmr:1,cs:1 https://www.retrowow.co.uk/retro_style/homes/semi.html… Continue reading Lorraine O’Connor’s Doll House 1960s
- Rose’s 1960s Lines Brothers ‘Triang’ Doll HouseThis is a two-story metal fronted dolls’ house. It is a Triang Doll house model number 65. The house was given to Rose by her parents at Christmas 1965 or 1966. Her mother Berney recalled buying it in a shop at the top of Roche’s Street in Limerick. The house was almost empty when it arrived, but over the following five years or so,… Continue reading Rose’s 1960s Lines Brothers ‘Triang’ Doll House
- Noreen Olwill’s Doll House, 1950sMy Doll’s House started life in Mallow, Co. Cork where it was made by my father in 1958. In the early sixties my family and I moved to Stillorgan, Co. Dublin and my Doll’s House came with us. My two younger sisters enjoyed playing with it. They loved decorating the rooms with scraps of wallpaper. Santa brought miniature furniture. My Doll’s House remained in… Continue reading Noreen Olwill’s Doll House, 1950s
- Judy McDonnell Durnin’s Doll House 1950sAs a four year old in the 1950’s I requested a dolls house for Christmas. My parents acquired a second hand bungalow dolls house from friends of theirs and bought new furniture for it. However two weeks before Christmas I announced that my new house would have stairs and bedrooms just like my own house. My father spent his evenings in his garage making… Continue reading Judy McDonnell Durnin’s Doll House 1950s
- Mary’s Doll House 1930sMary’s 1930s Triang doll house, Dúnlaoghaire, Co Dublin. Lines Bros Lines Bros Ltd was a British toy manufacturer of the 20th century, operating under the Tri-ang Toys brand name. Lines Bros Ltd, at its peak in 1947, was claimed by the company to be the largest toy maker in the world.[1] Under the Tri-ang Toys brand name, Lines Bros Ltd also made children’s bicycles,… Continue reading Mary’s Doll House 1930s
- Rachel Dawnay’s Doll House 1920sWhitfield Court, Waterford. This doll’s house has an interesting provenance. According to Dr Rachel Finnegan, ”I recently learned from Mrs Dawnay, who sold Whitfield Court and its contents in 2005, that it had belonged to her late sister-in-law, Rachel Dawnay (sister of the later Major Dawnay). This would date it to the late 1920s. It’s wonderful because of its provenance, and because it is… Continue reading Rachel Dawnay’s Doll House 1920s
- Rachel’s German Doll Kitchen 1900sRachel Finnegan’s ( Co Kilkenny) German / Nuremberg Doll Kitchen. This was originally made in Germany C.1900, and then brought to Ireland. It arrived complete with all the furnishings. Nuremberg kitchens Nuremberg kitchen is the traditional English name for a specific type of dolls house, quite similar to a room box, usually limited to a single room depicting a kitchen. The name references the… Continue reading Rachel’s German Doll Kitchen 1900s
- ‘Fintona’ Doll House 1840sThe doll house was placed in storage in Belfast in the 1930s by a family from Fintona, County Tyrone, before being sold by Christie’s, London, in October 2004, and again at C & T Auctions, Kent in November 2022. Mr David Boles, admiring the work of the Museum of Childhood Ireland, emailed us in November 2022 to see if the museum would be interested… Continue reading ‘Fintona’ Doll House 1840s